HRW Calls for Investigating Police Use of Force During Mahalla Protests

HRW Calls for Investigating Police Use of Force During Mahalla Protests

Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Saturday April 11 that Egypt should conduct an impartial investigation into the police use of force against protestors in Mahalla city during the demonstrations which took place last week.
 
Adding that the reports suggest police may have used excessive lethal and excessive force in responding to widespread, sometimes violent demonstrations on April 6 and 7, 2008.
 
Joe Stork, director of the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch, said, “The question the Egyptian police must answer is how and why a child was killed and dozens were injured by police responding to the Mahalla demonstrations.”
 
Adding, “The fact that some demonstrations turned violent does not give Egyptian police free license to beat or shoot protestors.” Confirming that the police should uphold order, but in the same time they should use proper riot-control measures instead of indiscriminately attacking people.
 
Human Rights Watch (HRW) report referred to the large number of arrests during the demonstrations, which included many Egyptian and Foreign journalists, in addition to the arrests following the demonstrations targeting Kifaya movement leaders.